South Africa fast-bowling legend Dale Steyn has criticised the Indian team management for resting star pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England at Edgbaston. The decision, taken by head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill, sparked widespread debate after India left out Bumrah and brought in Akash Deep as one of three changes for the match.
Steyn expressed his disbelief on social media, comparing the move to Portugal benching their star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in a crucial game. “So Portugal have the best striker in the world in Ronaldo and they chose not to play him. That’s madness. That’s like India having Bumrah and choosing not to play him,” Steyn tweeted.
The decision to rest Bumrah was not entirely unexpected. Before the tour began, the BCCI medical team had advised that Bumrah should not play all five Tests to manage his workload. During the squad announcement in May, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed Bumrah would be limited to just three matches.
Despite this, many experts believed India should have played Bumrah in the second Test, especially after the side’s poor bowling display in Leeds and their 0-1 deficit in the series. Bumrah had taken five wickets in the first innings of the opening Test, standing out as India’s most threatening bowler.
Explaining the decision at the toss, Shubman Gill said, “Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord’s, we think there’ll be more in that pitch so we’ll use him there.”
Despite the controversy, India had a strong showing on Day 1 of the second Test, ending the day at 310 for five. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with another brilliant century, his second of the series, while Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributed with a solid 87.
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